Sunday Pointers

I can't say I have a solid idea about what to post today.

There are some funny things about Mike Vick's plea deal I suppose. Like the fact, pointed out by George Dohrmann, "Vick agrees that 'Bad Newz Kennels' business enterprise involved gambling activities in violation of the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia ... Most of the 'Bad Newz Kennels' operation and gambling monies were provided by Vick ... Vick did not gamble by placing side bets on any of the fights. Vick did not receive any of the proceeds from the purses that were won by 'Bad Newz Kennels.'" (uh-huh, sure)

One can read this as a clear admission that Vick bet on dogfighting. He put the money up. He lost money if his dogs lost. However, Vick says he didn't win money if his dog won. Can one be a gambler if one never takes any winnings? Defenders of Vick could argue he was simply putting up money for his friends to gamble, that he was (if this is even possible) only half a gambler.

Another key: will the judge even accept the plea deal? I think he will, but it wouldn't be the first time a judge denied one...

But here's the problem for me on this blog - I don't really care about Vick anymore....I hope the judge sends him away for 18 months and that I don't have to be bothered watching his scrambles on PrimeTime for a few years....

But the only other thing I have on my mind at this point (besides work) is the wretched play the Phillies. You see, about a week ago the Phillies were 3 games behind the NY Mets for the lead in the NL East and a game behind the Padres for baseball's "wildcard" (something I still view as a rather weak move to expand MLB's playoff system, and something that's extended the baseball into territory well beyond where it should be - namely NOVEMBER)

Well anyway, the Phillies has a recent road-trip against really bad teams, one of them Pittsburgh Pirates - so what do they do? Lose the series and finish 3-3....ok - its crunch time and the Phillies have the fortune to have 6 games vs lousy teams and they dork it up. No problem....big long 10-game homestand should do the trick. A real test. Do well, REAL WELL, and they could exit the home-stand in two weeks atop the NL East or at least the Wildcard....

Results? 3 games vs the Dodgers - 1-2
3 game vs the Padres - 0-2 so far, losing in brutal fashion each time
Do the games vs the Mets even matter anymore??? While the Phillies suck dick like a gigolo on Castro Street, their main competitors are winning (exception, the Braves are going down like a $2 hooker as well). So as of right now they're 4 games back of the Padres and 7 games back of the Mets.

Team to beat my ass.

Three Cheers for Roger

Roger Goodell, new commissioner of the NFL, did the right thing. He told embattled Falcons QB Mike Vick to take a seat and not show up to Falcons training camp. Goodell doesn't have the responsibility to determine guilt or innocence, he has a responsibility to the NFL, and Vick has tarnished the league, plain and simple....regardless of the extent of his involvement, Vick stands at the center of a horribly cruel dog-fighting scandal that generated an incredibly poor perception, and sometimes perception becomes reality if not dealt with swiftly. To not act, would have been an indictment of Goodell's ability to protect the best interests of the league.

Let me say this again, Goodell did the right thing, and just as important, he did it at the right time. You see the indictment came down last week, and up went the hue and cry condemning Vick. Now if Goodell has done something immediately (or within say 24 hours), it would've come off as a knee-jerk overreaction. By waiting until this week, it shows that the NFL Commissioner deliberated, thought it out and presented a forthright, moral reason for asking Vick to stay home.

In a letter to the quarterback, he explained that due process is a constitutional right for the accused, not a privilege accorded to those with a roster spot: "While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your guilt or innocence, it is my responsibility as commissioner of the National Football league to determine whether your conduct, even if not criminal, nonetheless violated league policies, including the Personal Conduct Policy."

I think its rather obvious that at the very least, Vick lied to the NFL Commissioner in April when he claimed to have no knowledge of, and nothing to do with dog-fighting at this West Virginia property. That alone would give most employers a reason to ask for a temporary suspension. This is the right decision - Good on ya, Rog.

Mid-Week Considerations

Tired of having posts with "thoughts" in the title, so here are a few, uh, things swirling around in my head as I peruse the Internet after a long day at work.

Man, sure didn't take the Phillies that long to sink back down to .500 did it? Consider this: The Phillies needed 49 games in 55 days to finally surpass .500. They needed just two games in two days to return there. They took a pounding early and late tonight in an 11-5 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park. The Phils need to beat the Diamondbacks in the series finale Wednesday or dip back below .500. Sigh.

Michael Vick has now dipped to sub-human dick-wad status in my book. Hmmm, I wonder what the ink-black houses in the woods were for? Hmmm....perhaps to hide an illegal dog-fights at night? Fucking jack-ass. Read this story from SI, and if you don't think the same way, find a lost and found and ask them if anyone has turned in a soul recently.

I'm glad I'm not a taxpayer in Illinois....why would a state adopt and then spend mega-bucks to defend legislation that has already been ruled unconstitutional? And raiding unspent money for social services to go to court about video-game legislation? That's ridiculous.

You think your HDTV is impressive? Your HDTV sucks. Sorry, I don't mean to be a jerk, but it's no longer cutting edge. 1920x1080? Please. Japanese broadcaster NHK has come up with what they call Super Hi-Vision, and it puts HD to shame with an insane resolution of 7680x4320. Yeah, that's the equivalent of 16 HDTVs crammed into one. Like I said, your HDTV sucks.

Random Thoughts Day

Well, I've had a little bit of time to relax and got to blast a bunch of bad guys in my latest shooter game: F.E.A.R. Combat is fun when you have a reset button....

Now for a few things I think I think:
A) I think Blake had the best individual performance with his first song, but the Jordin was clearly the better singer after the 3 songs....I wonder if Blake's kick-ass rendition of the Bon Jovi song will be enough? If I had to bet money: Jordin returns even money 1:1, Blake 5:1....

B) I think Clinton Portis is a fucking Jackass....the league won't do anything about it - and nor should it - you can't fix stupid....
B-1: I hope Spikes and Trotter plant Portis into Linc turf like a cross-dressing petunia this fall.

C) I'll bet Arthur Blank's representatives are doing everything they possibly can to keep Vick from getting charged, cause if not Mr Pencil moustache has got to be wringing his hands...his new coach just traded away the Falcons primary back-up - skunking the Texans in the process - but also putting all their eggs in the Michael Vick basket for the foreseeable future.

D) Personally, I think its only a matter of time before Vick gets charged. Animals are a touchy subject with many in America...I've never really cared for Vick as a QB, but before this I've never had a reason to build up a distaste for Vick the person...As a dog-lover, oh you can be sure, that distaste is very strong right now.

E) How can this do anything but distract from the Falcons focus? (personally, I say fuck 'em, I've never liked the Dirty Birds...)

F) Does anyone outside of their respective cities care one-whit about the Stanley Cup Finals between the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and the Ottawa Senators? Didn't think so.

G) Yes, I know they're not the Mighty Ducks anymore, but if you're going to change your name, you should do it completely...Mighty Ducks might've been childish and slightly gay, but plain old Ducks? That is just lame....

H) Now that they've made a spectacle of the Lottery of Losers in the NBA, has everyone forgotten about how all the teams at the bottom basically DELIBERATELY sought to lose games or otherwise tank the season so they could get the top pick?? Where's the angst and/or indignation at that? I guess its only fitting that the three biggest losers all got hosed by the lottery balls and none of them scored a top-two pick...HA HA HA HA

I) I think its safer to pick second in this year's NBA Draft...you know you're going to get a young phenom (Most likely Kevin Durant), but you don't have the pressure of choosing which one. If either winds up being a bust, you're fairly safe in saying, that the guy we had to take..........

J) Everytime the Phillies have a chance to be better than strictly average (.500) they lose. Why am I not surprised? Why do I see this pattern of mediocrity creeping into yet another season?